Rated Level 5 through Maryland EXCELS

Collaborates with the Baltimore City Public Schools for public Pre-K

Open 7:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., weekdays, year round

Nutritious Breakfast and snacks provided

Milk provided for lunch

Individualized Creative Curriculum based on children's strengths and needs

Credentialed and experienced teachers

Voted Best of Baltimore 2003, 2008, 2010

What Makes DBCC Different?

Play based program

Why play is important

How play teaches academics and other necessary skills

The History of Downtown Baltimore Child Care

1983

JUNE: Mary Verona (president of the first board) signed the lease for the Park Avenue center, in her wedding dress, minutes before her wedding to David McClung at First and Franklin Presbyterian. SEPTEMBER: During renovations, contractors answered the phones in Nancy Kramer’s (DBCC’s first Director) absence. DBCC opened its doors September of ’83 with five children enrolled and two teachers! Susan Sandstrom and Bonnie Bain were those first two teachers.

1984

FEBRUARY: The new two-year old room opened. APRIL: The third classroom on the ground floor of Park Avenue was opened! Plans for increasing enrollment and the renovation of the second floor began!

1986

APRIL: DBCC opened its new Kindergarten program in a new room. In September, Park Avenue reached its full capacity. SEPTEMBER: Margo Sipes, after having enrolled her own 2 year old at DBCC, left her job with Head Start and joined DBCC’s teaching staff.

1988

SUMMER: The University of Maryland at Baltimore approached DBCC about a second location on their campus. Nancy Kramer was undaunted by the dingy maintenance garage on Arch street and plans began! SEPTEMBER: Margo Sipes was hired as DBCC’s Program Director.

1989

SEPTEMBER: University Center was opened in 1989 and has been a model for Infant and Toddler care and education since. It has been toured by planners and architects from across the country.

2001

MARCH: Nancy Kramer retired and Margo Sipes took over as the executive director of DBCC. DBCC continues to provide high quality child care to Baltimore families. Through the support of local foundations, consortium members, and fundraising, over 20% of our children receive financial aid.

2006

SEPTEMBER: DBCC began to collaborate with Baltimore City Schools for our Judy Hoyer Pre-K Program!

2010

AUGUST: The Park Avenue center closes and DBCC is once again housed under one roof, this time on the campus of the University of MD, Baltimore!

Curriculum

Curriculum content should be planned to make use of the areas of activity and interest

to extend knowledge, language and imagination and help children grow from what they already know to what they need to know. The program should be based on an understanding of basic child development and current research recognizing children’s individual differences, dependent nature, growing independence, physical energy, unique creativity, and that children learn best from first hand experiences rather than verbal instruction.

The relationships between teacher and child should be characterized by sympathetic understandings and gentle guidance based on an awareness of whatever problems a child faces.

The teacher’s main role is to reinforce the child’s own learnings, and to challenge the child to continually build on what they already know.

Curriculum includes experiences

with music, movement, art, literature, language, mathematics and science in an educational program that encourages the acquisition of concepts and skills through experimentation and discovery. Activities such as running, climbing, bike-riding, balancing, and digging develop large muscles and build strong, healthy bodies.

Staff

Years of research and experience make it clear that the most important factor in determining the quality of an early childhood program is the quality of its staff.

Children do best when there are sufficient numbers of trained adults available on a regular, consistent basis. Specialized staff training is critical. Teachers must understand how young children grow and learn, and how to teach them accordingly. And because young children need close adult attention and supervision for their safety and to help them thrive, the total group size and the number of children per adult must be limited.

DBCC is staffed by an Executive Director, a Program Directors, mentor teachers, and clasroom teachers who are professionally trained and experienced in early childhood education and chid development.

Teachers work as a team within each classroom, sharing responsibilites for planning experiences consistent with DBCC's developmentally appropriate curriculum for individual child and their group. DBCC teachers and administrators are expected to meet the Maryland State Department of Education / Office of Child Care Credentialing requirements.

Quality Child care is labor intensive.

The younger the children, the smaller the group and the more adults needed per child. In most cases, DBCC's teacher/child ratios exceed Maryland State Licensing Requirements.

Illustrative DBCC Staff Ratios

DBCC also has a full time kitchen / housekeeping manager who helps us maintain a clean and sanitary environment, prepares breakfast and snack and disinfencts infant toys and sanitizes surfaces. She meets Marlyand's "Safe Serve" requiremenets.

Room 1 - Eight Infants - Four full time teachers, one part time teacher

Room 2 - Nine Toddlers - Four full time teachers

Room 3 - Seven Infants - Three full time teachers, one part time teacher

Room 4 - Twelve two year olds - Three full time teachers, one part time teacher

Room 5 - Fifteen three year olds - Three full time teachers

Room 6 - Seventeen four year olds - 2 full time teachers, one part time teacher

Room 7 - nine toddlers - three full time teachers, one part time teachers

Tution

Infants and Toddlers (12 weeks through 24 months)

Full time(/month)$1,716.00

3 days per week (Toddlers only)(/month)$1,328.00

2 days per week (Toddlers only)(/month)$996.00

Two year olds (25 through 36 months)

Full time(/month)$1,464.00

3 days per week(/month)$1,172.00

2 days per week(/month)$900.00

Preschooler (37 months and older)

Full time(/month)$1,153.00

3 days per week(/month)$924.00

2 days per week(/month)$695.00

DBCC also charges

An annual materials fee of $100 payable twice yearly

$50 with September’s invoice and $50 with February’s invoice.

An annual accident insurance fee of $5 payable in September or upon enrollment

A monthly music fee of $18 from October through May

And fees for special activities as they occur.

DBCC Financial Aid Procedure

When applying for DBCC’s financial aid, please use the following procedures: First Application:

Fill out the enclosed DBCC Financial Aid Form, sign, and return to the DBCC office.

Income guidelines for scholarship eligibility

Awards will be based on the adjusted gross income as noted on federal tax returns.

IncomeRange: 10,000 - 40,000 up to; Award Eligibility: 50%

IncomeRange: 40,000 - 50,000 up to; Award Eligibility: 50%

IncomeRange: 50,000 - 60,000 up to; Award Eligibility: 25%

IncomeRange: 60,000 - 70,000 up to Award Eligibility: 10%

Awards will be made on a first come first serve, rolling basis until the scholarship funds are used for the current year.

Renewal Applications

Submit most recent Federal income tax return, form 1040, 1040A, 1040EZ, or TeleFile documentation along with the most recent W-2.

University of Maryland, Baltimore

If you are a University of Maryland, Baltimore employee or student, you may qualify for a scholarship.

Download and complete the following application and submit it to DBCC for consideration.

Johns Hopkins University

Johns Hopkins University

If you are a Johns Hopkins employee, you may qualify for the Johns Hopkins Dependant Care Voucher Program which provides support for child care expenses. Please follow the link below to explore this option. Johns Hopkins Dependant Care Voucher Program.